>> he grew up in basically upstate new york, western new york. he came from a very poor family. he didn't get, didn't have any formal education. he was impoverished, really hard scrabble childhood. his family moved around a lot. once he was on his own he moved around a lot. he was a craftsman, kind of a furniture maker and painter. never got ahead, and then his wife entirely changed. once he converted to mormonism when he was a little bit more than 30 years old. >> how did that happen? how did he meet joseph smith, et cetera? >> he first met the book of mormons. missionaries brought it shortly after is published in 1830, some of his family members read it. he later said he read it and he it and he spent a long time thinking about it. he didn't jump on board right away. he was a little bit skeptical, a little uncertain, and he spent a couple years considering the claims of this new bible, this new work of scripture. then he encountered a group of traveling mormon elders, or missionaries, and he saw them speak in tongues. something he hadn't encountered i think to the point in his